Michael Drake is an internationally respected writer and recording artist. He is the author of The Shamanic Drum: A Guide to Sacred Drumming, Shamanic Drumming: Calling the Spirits, I Ching: The Tao of Drumming, and Shamanic Drumming Circles Guide. His musical albums include Shamanic Journey Drumming and Power Animal Drumming. His articles have appeared in numerous publications, including Awareness, Sacred Hoop, and Mother Earth News. Raised in a conservative Baptist Church, Michael had his first ecstatic experience as a youth at a church revival, an evangelistic meeting intended to reawaken interest in religion. This state of rapture and trancelike elation inspired his spiritual quest for meaning and fulfillment. At a crucial point in his search, Michael came in touch with the transforming power of shamanic drumming and discovered his true calling. Inspired by his research and experiences, Michael founded Talking Drum Publications in 1991 in order to share the healing power of rhythm with the global drumming community. For the past twenty years he has been facilitating drum circles and hands-on experiential workshops nationwide.